Pleasure Rush
by Sunscorched
Summary: Who says danger can't be good? Anita Blake Xover. CordyAsher.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Pleasure Rush  
Author: Scorch  
Email: FR21  
Category: Crossover  
Content: Cordelia/Asher  
Summary: Who says danger can't be good?  
Disclaimer: I own nixies.  
Distribution: TTH, Lea's place, anywhere else just ask.  
Notes: Enjoy!

Chapter 1...

The grass crunching under her feet was a welcome distraction from setting herself up as bait. It was wet and slippy from yesterday's down pour, and her shoes kept sliding. It was chilly yet muggy with unspent electricity, providing the night with an uncomfortable atmosphere that didn't sit well with naturally wavy hair, and she thanked the heavens she'd had the good sense to tie it up before leaving the library.

Cordelia shivered, her arms coming up to rub away the cold slowly seeping into her skin. If only she'd had the good sense to remember her jacket. Of course, they weren't supposed to be out long.

Not out long. Ha! They'd been roaming Restfield for well over an hour now and her last nerve was starting to wither under the strain of putting up with the two love birds behind her. God, it was almost enough to make her sick, and she'd often come close to having an unwanted pukeathon.

The conversation between her royal slayerness and her dog was oh so scintilliating, it left her speechless and awed. One moment, they were quietly discussing how they have to be friends and not lovers, then in the next breath they were silently staring into each other's eyes.

One word fit the bill and that was gross. Oh, and boring. Technically, that was two words, not one, but who really cared? She certainly didn't. All she cared about was them being too distracted to save her from the big, scary demon heading towards her at an increasingly rapid pace.

Its roar was loud and high pitched, sending an acute, searing pain through her ear drums and she screamed, slamming her hands over her ears to prevent them from bursting. The pain was blinding, shooting right through her, piercing her skull and burning her brain.

That pain was replaced by one much, much worse. Having a seven hundred pound demon ram into you at full pelt was bound to take your mind off a bit of earache. Her back colliding with the wet ground, and claw-like nails scraped down her bare arms, allowing her blood to turn the green grass a sickly shade of brown.

Tears trickled down her face. Cordelia couldn't help it. She was staring death in the face and it terrified her. Closing her eyes, she pretended she was in a far off place. A place that was warm and safe and completely free of hellmouths, monsters, and slayers who gave a damn about more than the love toy she spent her life staring at.

She patiently waited to be eaten by teeth that she never felt. Huh. Weird. If she didn't feel teeth, then one of two things had happened. Either she was already dead, or Buffy and Angel had snapped out of their little love bubble and saved her.

If they saved her, then surely one of them would be helping her off a ground she couldn't feel. Not feeling teeth was weird, but not feeling ground? It was cause enough for some serious panicking.

There was movement under her back, but it felt like a pair of arms. Obviously someone was carrying her, which would explain why she couldn't feel ground under her. Good. She was worried for a moment there.

Thinking it was Buffy or Angel, Cordelia snapped her eyes open and prepared to let which ever one it was have it. There was no Buffy or Angel in sight, only hair that looked gold. Not golden blonde or brassy gingery blonde or yellow, but honest to goodness gold. Unless the demon was really Goldilocks in disguise, she was being carried by a stranger.

She wasn't sure what was worse. Being kidnapped by a demon or a stranger. At least with the demon, there would be two people moderately trying to rescue her.

The hair moved and Cordelia felt her breath forced from her body in a harsh, painful breath. A stunning blue eye greeted her.

"Be still," he said, his voice thick with a French accent. "You see, we are quite high and I've no wish to drop you."

High? Drop? "What?" She glanced over her shoulder and saw the ground far, far beneath her. She did the only thing a human could when being so high without a parachute and screamed.

"Put me down!" She screeched and wiggled and squirmed in the stranger's arms. "Put me down, I said! Down!" From the D to the O, what did he not understand?

A blue eye blinked again. "You want to go down?"

Cordelia thought about it for a split second. "Us! I want you to put us down! Not me! For God's sake, don't put me down! I'll go splat if you put me down!"

His head cocked to one side, the quizzical expression not hard to miss. "It is dangerous."

"Dangerous?" She stated with a hysterical giggle. "Dangerous is not being on solid ground. Dangerous is being a thousand miles from Earth without a parachute. Dangerous is being dangled over a bunch of trees with nasty, prickly branches that will stick in parts unknown. Dangerous is being in the arms of a stranger with gold hair, which is beautiful by the way."

He had absolutely no idea what she just said. One moment she was yelling of dangers and the next she stated his hair was beautiful. It had been a long time since he had been told that. "My thanks," he replied eventually, a hint of shyness in his blue eyes.

"Uh-huh, and you'll have more of my thanks if you put us down!"

"You do not like heights?"

Who was this lunatic? "I like heights just fine," Cordelia commented in a casually sarcastic tone. "When it's safe to admire them, which it's not."

"Then we shall go down," was the courteous response. "You will be protected, mon cherie."

Oh. Great. "Protected from what? Flying..." What kind of demon was he? "What are you? A wing demon?" She couldn't see any, so how was he flying?

"A vampire."

She nodded like what he said made sense, which it really didn't. She'd been around vampires for two years now and not one of them had been able to fly. She waited patiently for her feet to touch down and dusted herself off, hissing when her fingers rasped over the scratches on her arms. Only then did she turn to the vampire.

"You're a vampire?" Cordelia asked and he nodded, careful to keep his hair in front of his face, something she found to be strange since most vampires didn't care about their over hanging foreheads and fangs. Well, except Angel, who only did that in front of Buffy. "And you can fly?"

He made a grand, sweeping gesture that signalled yes. "And I was flying with you? As in up, up, and away?"

"We flew." She blinked and promptly passed out.


	2. Chapter 2

Cordelia's eyes fluttered open and she found herself lying on something that felt utterly luxurious. Well, if luxurious meant being laid out on a gorgeous, red silk chaise lounge and covered by a matching red silk blanket.

A pretty blonde girl was hovering over her and softly pressing a cold compress to her head. The only thing stopping the cheerleader from being terrified at the fingers on her throat was the fact the blonde girl was checking a watch, a sure sign she was timing her pulse.

"You passed out," she said and brilliant red lips parted into a large smile. "Hi, I'm Cherry."

"Great," Cordelia muttered sarcastically.

Cherry pressed a cold compress to the girl's head with one hand and took the pulse with the other. "I used to be a nurse," she explained, a hint of sad wistfulness in her voice.

Was that before you joined Team Undead, Cordelia wanted to ask. Since she wanted to live through the night, she decided against it. Asking instead, "Where am I?"

"You're in Asher's room." Off the questioning look, "He's the one that saved you."

"Asher?" Cordelia tested the name out. "The one who can fly? Is he like a fanged up Superman or something? I mean, he isn't a bird or a plane yet flies by the seat of his pants."

That got a laugh out of the ex nurse. "Just a vampire I'm sorry to say. I'm willing to bet he doesn't know who Superman is." Hell, Asher didn't know what a comic book was.

Somehow, Cordelia wasn't surprised. She sat up and removed the cold cloth, her eyes still a tad foggy from her impromptu visit to Lala Land. It took a few moments for it to pass, but it did, she found herself staring round what was the most elaborately decorated room she'd ever seen. Shades of red, burgundy, and damson contrasted stunningly with shades of pale grey, dark grey, and black.

Walls, ceiling, furniture... Everything was a perfect match for something. Whoever this Asher person was certainly had taste.

She rubbed her forehead and sighed. "As much as I'd love to stay and chat, I really should be going. My friends probably have a search party out about now." At least they better be searching for her. If not, then that meant they'd left her to die, which wouldn't go a long way into getting back in her good graces.

Cherry was quick to stop her. "You've been out for the last hour or so. I wouldn't recommend moving quite yet."

"I'm gonna take your advice with the same level of ignorance I took my last medical advice. No offence of course, but I don't hang in the rooms of strange vampires. I'm just not that kind of girl, ya know?" Cordelia held out the compress with an impatient hand wiggle. "Could you take this? Thanks."

She hopped off the chaise and made for the door, only pausing long enough to send a comment over her shoulder. Vampire or no, this Asher person had saved her from becoming demon chow. "Oh and could you tell Flyboy I said thanks for the swoopy rescue? Great."

"No, wait. You can't go..." Cherry tried unsuccessfully to stop the girl, but her words were cut short.

Cordelia rolled her eyes and faced the blonde. "Okay, I tell you what. Have your people call my people and we'll do lunch." With that, she turned back to the door, opened it and walked straight into a firm chest.

She didn't far to look before she met the owner and watched as a cheeky smile spread across his very cute face. Oh great. Try to escape and bump into a horny lech. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all. I'm Jason," he held out his hand, his smile widening to the point where she feared his face would actually split. "Food's here." He glanced at the pretty brunette in front of him, wondering why she was staring at him in confusion. "What?"

Cordelia took a step or two away from Jason. "I'm not food. I'm too skinny to be food. I mean look at me!" She held out her arms for inspection. "Not much blood to be had I can assure you. Sunnydale general can assure, so there's not much point in eating me. Besides, I was saved. If I was saved then there's got to be a reason... Oh."

Obviously she was the night's choice of take-out.

Gulping, she began to back away, careful not to accidentally back into the other blonde. God only knew what an ex medical expert was capable of with a set of fangs and a syringe. She had to get out of here. "Oh my God!" Cordelia yelled and pointed behind Jason. "Behind you!"

When both Jason and Cherry looked to where she was pointing, Cordelia grabbed the chance to leg it and leg it she did. Pushing past the blonde guy, she darted down the hall, ignoring the yells for her to stop. She ran and ran and ran, this way and that, taking whichever turn or corner that came her way, not stopping until her legs ached and her head was woozy.

She put a hand to her chest and slumped against the nearest wall, her frightened eyes glancing all around for vampires. There were no signs. Good. She could catch her breath, at least for short time. Hell, her head was really starting to hurt and it was then she realised she hadn't eaten anything since lunch, which was a few mouthfuls of grossness in the school cafeteria.

This so hadn't been her plan. Her plan was to bait the trap, go home for a shower and and diet Coke. It had not been bait the trap, fly a few thousand feet, and be the pizza. "Mine or theirs," Cordelia murmured. "I'm gonna die of hunger."

An unacknowledged tear trickled down her face and she angrily wiped it away. Now was not the time to cry, she thought when she heard rapid footsteps, now was the time to start running again.

Kicking her tired body and feet into gear, she turned in the opposite direction to the footsteps and managed one measly step before two slender hands came to hold her still. Oh God, it was the vampire.

This time when Cordelia glanced up, she had a longer way to go until she saw the owner.

Since she could only see one half of his face, the detailed profile was minimum, but enough for her recognise the man, the vampire, who saved her for dinner. He was gonna have her for hor'deurves and she just could not stop staring. He was gorgeous, no more than gorgeous, he was absolutely beautiful. The half a nose and one cheekbone she saw were gently sloped and eased into a smooth, pale forehead decorated with a pale eyebrow.

A blue eye peered at her through gold and the corner of his mouth curled up into a smile that seemed a tad shy.

Cordelia had barely a second to take in the detail when a dazzling blue eye peered at her through gold and the corner of his mouth curled up into a smile that, if he'd been human, she'd say a tad shy. He saved her once tonight, maybe he'd do it again. "Asher, right? Can you help me get out of here? I won't tell Buffy, I swear I won't."

That eyebrow rose ever so slightly, the smile faltering a little. "You wish to leave us?"

Duh! "Not to be a party pooper or anything, but I'm not main course material." She paused. "That's not to say I'm not good to enough to eat because I am."

"Main course?" He sounded surprised, no surprise since vampires were known for lying to get victims. "You think you are to be eaten?"

So maybe a fibbing vampire wasn't surprising, but a chuckling vampire was. "Hey!" Cordelia yelled when he continued to chuckle. "What's so funny about not wanting to die?" Vampire or no, he was so not getting away with laughing at her.

The lashes framing his eye fluttered and drew her attention back to the dazzling iris. "My apologies, mon cherie. I do not mean to laugh."

"Of course you don't," she snapped. "I know exactly what you're doing."

He blinked again. "Oui?"

Cordelia smirked so smugly, looking as though she'd just discovered the world's best kept secret. "Yep and it's not working."

"I am confused," Asher spoke and the French accent was incredibly prominent. "What is not working?"

She shook a finger at the vampire. "Oh no. No, no, no. You're not gonna pull that one on me, pal. I'm Cordelia Chase. The bitchiest bitch in Sunnydale. You know exactly what isn't working and you're playing all innocent. I don't need Buffy or Angel to ride on in here, stakes a'blazing. I can take care of myself. If you so much as flash a fang, I swear you'll be eating your own dust."

Cordelia's shaking finger had long since turned into a finger that poked and prodded his chest, and after each poke and prod, his back got closer and closer to the wall. She was definiance personified as she met his direct gaze without flinching and fought an urge to yell take that, vampire in his face.

Sure she'd probably pissed him off enough to snap her neck, but she was tired of running and acting like a lamb ready for slaughter was so not her style. She could either save herself or she'd die trying. Besides, a few well placed words had scared off Gorch. What was to say lightening couldn't strike twice?

Cordelia jumped when one of his hands closed gently round her poking finger and held it still. Whoa nelly, where was the neck snapping and the blood drinking, her violently horrible death?

"I mean you no harm, mon cherie," Asher spoke as he rubbed his thumb in slow, calming circles on the back of her finger. "You are quite safe."

"Why? Am I what? Not good enough to rouse your hunger pangs cus let me tell you something. I can be damn well tasty when I wanna be." Definitely not the greatest thing to say to a vampire, but what the hell ever. She wasn't gonna stand around and be insulted like that.

"I've no doubt." With that, his hand left hers and cupped her jaw, his thumb now tracing her lower pout, causing her plump lips to open in shock and surprise. His ocean blue orb watched his digit trace her entire mouth, travelling higher where his palm splayed out to cover her cheek, her warm flesh heating his.

Cordelia couldn't stop herself from leaning into the touch or stop from tilting her face into his palm, and her eyes were fluttering shut under the soft sensation when a set of footsteps came to a screeching halt and a breathless voice broke through the intimate moment.

"Man," Jason gasped as he doubled over, one arm round his stomach. "Girls can't half work up an appetite."

Asher instantly pulled away from the brunette and shattered the intimacy. "Are you to join us? I believe pizza is the food of choice."

Jason glanced at the girl after straightening. "C'mon. There's two choices. Ham and pineapple or spicy chicken, a ten ton chocolate cake and ice cream for afters. Not as good as Nathaniel's, but beggers can't be choosers."

Shaken from almost kissing a stranger and not just any stranger, but a vampire. A vampire that could fly for crying out loud. Cordelia looked warily from the younger blonde to the vampire. "You're really not going to eat me, kill me, or try to sacrifice me for any world ending plans?"

The only thing preventing Jason's response was Asher. "On my honour, mon cherie. Allow me..." He bent his arm at the elbow and offered it to his guest, patiently waiting for her to take it before escorting her towards the dining room.

Jason helplessly watched them go. "Damn and I thought I was in."


	3. Chapter 3

Part 3...

To say dinner was a surreal event was an understatement, not to mention utterly humiliating. In the last hour alone, she'd been caught blatantly staring at Asher not once or twice, but four times. She couldn't be blamed. At least not when the object of said staring was so damned fascinating. Take his eyes for instance.

A pale, ice blue with a warmth she guessed only his closest friends had the privilege to witness, and it was a shame she could saw the one. Then there were his hands. His fingers were long and slender and he moved them with a graceful elegance suited to a conjurer. He had a soft touch, a gentle touch, that belied the strength vampires were capable of.

His walk was a glide, long legs executing the stride with sureness, each step silent and measured. Even Angel with all his otherworldly mojo couldn't pull off what Asher did naturally. Huh. How odd it was to think a vampire's unnatural talents were natural. She just wished she could see his face as a whole but no matter how many times she tried to steal a peek, his hair prevented it.

He was beautiful, more than beautiful in fact, so why was he hiding?

Unless there was no other eye to see. That would explain things, well, it'd explain why he was so keen on hiding it, but not the shame he failed to hide in his gaze.

The worst of it was Asher. Sitting opposite her, that ice blue eye of his tracking the movement of her hands and her lips as she ate, a bemused expression on his face. He knew she was staring at him. Hell, the whole damn table knew she was staring, and yet she just couldn't bring herself to stop, despite the fact she was looking like a complete idiot.

It wouldn't have been so bad if Asher hadn't spoken up a few moments before. "Never before," he'd said in a thick French accent laced with a sinful sensuality. "Have I been paid such a sweet compliment. Many thanks, mon cherie." Then he'd reached out to take her hand and swept his soft, soft mouth across her knuckles.

"Mon cherie?"

The sound of his voice chased away her thoughts, making her jump and blush at being caught staring at him yet again. "Un huh?" She half squeaked round a mouthful of pizza.

"Are you well?" Asher asked, a lovely hint of laughter lilting his voice.

"Oh, uh, yeah. I mean yes," and she thought dating Xander Harris was humiliating. "Thanks."

"Are you quite sure?"

Cordelia nodded and took a large drink of soda, her hand slightly shaking from nervousness. Though there'd been no attempt to hurt her from any of them, she was still wary. Who wouldn't be wary when joining a couple of vampires for dinner?

Jason was looking at the table top, his lips constantly twitching. "Are you laughing at me?" She demanded.

His expression instantly became one of pure innocence. "Who? Me?"

"No, the man behind you."

Asher glanced behind the young werewolf and saw no-one. Facing his guest, "Which man?" Perhaps she could see someone they couldn't or perhaps she was in tune with the dead.

Cordelia's brows shot up. "Huh?"

"I think she was being sarcastic," Jason returned, his grin now on full show and making her realise exactly how cute he was. "I still can't believe I fell for that."

"Fell for what?" Richard asked, finally bothering to join in the conversation.

Cherry smothered her giggles with her hand. "Cordelia's escape. She said there was something behind Jason and he fell for it."

He scowled at the ex-nurse and threw a a balled up napkin at her. "So did you."

"Funny," Richard mumbled in way that stated it was, in fact, not funny in the least.

Cordelia watched as both Cherry and Jason sighed, the humour extinguished under the weight of the wet blanket that was the older blonde. If there was one thing she truly hated in life, it was a killjoy. "It was funny," she said and sent Jason a tiny smile.

The awkward silence yet again returned, but this time she refused to let it take the limelight. "Okay," she put the soda given to her from Cherry down and glanced at them all. "This is starting to remind me of my mother's dinner parties and lemme tell ya, not a compliment."

"What should we talk about?" Richard's voice was low and his gaze landed her, the bitter anger taking her aback. "How we're all monsters?"

"Excuse me?" Cordelia glared right back. "Who the hell are you to put words in my mouth?"

Asher sighed, trying to calm the ulfric down. "Mon ami..."

"That's what you're thinking."

Cordelia's mouth dropped. How dare he tell her what she was thinking? "Since when did you crawl into my head?"

Richard snorted sarcastically.

"Stop telling me what I'm thinking," she snapped. "Sure I'm gonna be cautious, cus hey. Hellmouth and fangs are a bad combination. As for monsters. Honestly? I don't know. I mean, this whole thing could be one seriously well played false sense of security. A three year lesson on the evilness of vampires can't be ignored."

When nobody said anything and Richard descended into stony silence, Cordelia continued. "That's not to say all vampires are bad, Angel isn't. Not anymore. Unless he gets groiny with Buffy again. Apart from Angel and you people, the only other vampires I know have tried to eat me." Still nobody said anything, so she yet again tried to make them understand she wasn't trying to be rude.

"I know monsters, it's my job to bait them," she said and looked away as memories from the past year ran through her mind. "And you people either need Oscars or a crash course in monster mashing. Besides, why would three humans pal around with a vampire if he was so dangerous?"

Her question earned her another smile from Asher, a nod of acknowledgment and understanding following soon after.

Cherry took the opportunity to dive into the conversation before Richard had a chance to respond. "Baiting?"

"I wander around a cemetery until I attract a demon, then Buffy comes running to kill it." Cordelia frowned. "Or she's supposed too." If it hadn't been for Asher, she'd be dead right about now. She noticed everyone staring at her in horror. "What?"

Jason and Cherry exchanged glances with Richard and Asher, who was the one to speak. "That is what you were doing this night? Enticing a demon?" The thought did not please him.

"Yep, bait girl at your service."

More looks were exchanged and yet again it was Asher who spoke, his smooth forehead crinkling up into a frown. "And this... Buffy, oui? Allows you to..."

Quick to defense, "Buffy doesn't allow me to do anything. I do what I want."

This time, it was Jason to quiz Cordelia. "And she's supposed to kill the demon before it kills you?"

"She does kill the demon before it kills me." Adding on in a quiet murmur, "Most of the time." When Buffy wasn't making goo-goo eyes at Angel.

"_Most_ of the time?" This came from Cherry, whose wide eyes went from Jason to Asher and Richard. "What happens the other times?"

Cordelia's face split into a megawatt smile that flashed all her teeth and she turned it on the vampire, who gave a regal nod as he graciously acknowledged her gratitude. "I get whisked off for pizza and Coke with a bunch out-of-towners."

Jason turned to thwack Asher on his shoulder. "You hero, you."

Asher lowered his gaze, but didn't look away from the brunette who was still smiling at him. "The pleasure was truly mine, mon cherie."

She felt her face burn as a blush slowly crept up her cheeks, causing her to take a sip of soda to cool herself down. "So, how long have you all been members of Club Drac?"

"We're not all vampires," Richard said lowly.

Why did he sound like being a vampire was a bad thing? "Did I say you were all vampires? Cus I don't think I did. I know you're human."

"We're not human," Jason stated, the confession making his voice a tad quieter. "Richard and I are werewolves, Cherry is a wereleopard."

Cordelia fell silent as she digested the information. "Werewolves I've heard of. Oz is one, but wereleopard? Never heard of one."

All three lycans glanced at each other, all wondering the same thing. "What?" She asked when no more was said.

"Forgive them, mon cherie," Asher said softly. "They are not used to being so easily accepted by mortals."

Admitting, "I didn't find it easy to accept that things did really go bump in the night, but like I say. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Oz is a werewolf and apart from his doggy PMSing three days a month, he's pretty cool."

"PMSing?" Cherry quizzed, unable to be anything other than amused.

Cordelia shot the blonde a quirky sort of smile. "Those growly, snarly, _I'll bite the head off anyone who looks at me the wrong way_ days."

"You certainly have a way with words," the vampire chuckled.

"So I've been told," came her reply. She looked at Cherry, "So when you say leopard, you mean leopard. As in tree climbing, spotty big cat?"

The ex nurse nodded. "As in leopard."

"I've never met a talking blonde leopard before. Kinda cool, in a really weird sort of way." Cordelia paused for thought. "Come to think of it, I've never met a vampiric Flyboy before." Must be pretty handy in a traffic jam.

The vampire in question blinked, Jason choked on his pizza, Cherry giggled, and even Richard's lips twitched at her nickname.

Jason chortled. "Flyboy?" He really couldn't wait till Jean-Claude heard. Man, the Master of the City would be tickled pink by that one. Hell, everyone would be tickled pink. He made a mental note to call Anita the first chance he got.

Cordelia's blushing increased. "He flies," she said like it explained everything.

"Flyboy," Asher tested, his French accent making the word so intimate, so erotic, Cordelia wished she'd said it to him in private. "Then you would be what, Cordelia?"

Oh God. The way he said her name was enough to make her stomach drop and her insides tighten with something more than arousal, and the way he looked at her did a serious number on her common sense. _Men bad, remember? They lie and cheat and make out with their best friends_. She swallowed, trying hard to shut those emotions off lest she get caught out.

"Well?" Jason asked with a mouthful of food. "What's your nickname?"

Richard snorted. "The Ride." Cherry scowled and kicked him under the table. "What?" He asked with wide eyed innocence. "He flew her, right?"

Cordelia smirked. "What should I call you? Richie? Or would Dick be more appropriate?"

Cherry and Jason laughed, while Asher watched in quiet bemusement.

"You think you're so funny, don't you?" He snapped.

"I don't think, I know." She paused for a second. "Wolfman," adding a tongue pulling for good measure.

Richard tried, really tried, to keep a straight face, to not find anything funny whatsoever about her, but the sight of her acting five was just too much. His lips slowly twitched once, twice, thrice and then he was chuckling, much to the amazement to everyone present.

Cherry and Jason looked first at each other, then to Asher and finally Richard, who they hadn't heard laugh in a long, long time.

The ulfric wiped his mouth and glanced at the brunette. "I have been acting like a dick, haven't I?"

Cordelia nodded. "Oh yeah, but I can't blame you. I mean I'd act like a ninny if some stranger with a 'tude problem came into my space and got the biggest slice of pizza. Friends?" She reached over the table to shake on it, only to pull it back with a hiss. "Stupid guzzlesnatch demon."

All looked at her in concern, but it was Richard who acted. "You okay?" His gaze swept down her arms and the bandages covering them. "They need to be changed," he said with a small hint of authority directed at Cherry and Jason.

Cordelia shot him a smug smirk, once again stretching her arm out, this time without the pained hiss. "Yeah, you're a real monster."

It was plainly obvious she'd just tricked Richard and an odd sort of silence descended on them until a snort of laughter broke it, causing the ulfric to glare at the culprit, who just happened to be Jason.

Cherry refused to tear her gaze away from her slice of pizza for fear she'd crack a rib while Asher watched Cordelia. Slowly, surely, Jason's snort turned into a boyish little giggle that rapidly became loud, full on belly aching barks of laughter.

Richard's glare went round the table until it landed on their guest, who was happily eating her way through another slice of ham and pineapple, an oh so innocent expression on her face. "Yes?" She simply asked as she continued to munch.

"Man," Jason sighed through his sniggering. "She got you good."

Grumbling, the elder werewolf grudgingly admitted, "Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up," and the slightest of smiles appeared, garnering himself the sober attention of the two lycans.

Cordelia didn't get a chance to question the seriousness of their silent exchange as Asher spoke. "Welcome back, mon ami."

Jason was inclined to agree. "Yeah, ulfric. It's good to have you back."

With that, the tense atmosphere between cheerleader and alpha wolf disintegrated, allowing everyone to relax and enjoy the rest of the evening.

Cordelia found herself liking the kooky little group more and more. They were interesting as far as supernatural beings went and she asked question upon question about lycanthropy, vampirism, how Asher could fly. She would have asked a hell of a lot more, but a large yawn crept up out of nowhere.

She blinked her glazing eyes at asher. "It's getting pretty late and my car is still in the hands of Restfield parking lot. Can you walk me home, please?"

Her words caused Asher's smile to go in the opposite direction. He took her hand and brought it to to his mouth, his lips brushed the softest of kisses to her knuckles. Such lovely skin she had. Tanned, delicate, the scent of oranges lingered after he released her. Delicious. "You are more than welcome to stay with us."

"Stay?" Cordelia parroted, entranced by the gorgeousness of his oceanic gaze. Sure she felt safe with him, with them all, but stay the night? She'd been wrong about people before. Wrong about Xander, wrong about Willow, wrong about that damn frat boy, so the chances of her being wrong about Asher were fairly high. "I don't know."

Seeing her nervousness increase, "It is late, mon cherie. My mind would be eased if you were to stay." He cocked his head to one side, amusement overriding the disappointment at her leaving. "Your virtue is safe."

"My what now?"

"Your innocence will remain intact if that is your concern."

Cordelia blinked at his presumption, unable to believe he was talking like this in front of his friends. She slyly glanced at the others and saw none of them had bat an eye. Still, the lack of reaction didn't quell her sharp response. "Excuse me, bub. Who said I was innocent, huh? I could be a big ol' whore for all you know."

This time when Asher smiled, she caught sight of his fangs and unconsciously gulped, placing a protective hand over her throat. "You are a true darling, mon cherie. Allow me to show you to my rooms..."

Her jaw dropped at his audacity. "Just what kind of girl do you think I am? I neither agreed nor disagreed to spend the night and even if I did stay, I would not be sleeping with you or... or anyone else for that matter! I maybe head cheerleader, but that is not how I got the title. Now if you don't mind, I am going home."

She yanked her hand away from his, smoothed down her clothes, flattened her hair, and rose from her seat in a huff. "I'll call a cab."

Asher couldn't help but find her entertaining. She was charming, absolutely charming. He pursued the brunette out of the dining room and into the hall, "I did not mean to be in the same bed as yourself. Though I would not object to such pleasures. Mon cherie, I only wish to see you comfortable."

Cordelia immediately ceased her huffy walk and faced the vampire whose voice rang with unmistakable honesty. Wide eyed, "You had no plans to..." Her hands waved frantically. "You know?"

"Non. You are in need of rest and I've no wish to impose upon you that which you do not wish." Having been on the receiving of such a thing, he would not ever do that to another, let alone a young woman.

Now she felt guilty for assuming he was after one thing. What was it with this vampire? Why couldn't be horrible like all the others? It'd make it so much easier to walk away. Quick to deny his words, "That's not to say I wouldn't sleep with you." How wrong did that sound?

Asher arched a brow.

"What girl wouldn't wanna sleep with you? I would." it was just going from bad to worse.

His brow went higher.

"I mean, you're cute and all and you seem pretty sweet, so why wouldn't I wanna sleep with you?" Cordelia wanted to beat herself to death with her shoe. "What I'm trying to say is I don't know you, Asher. Not as a person. Are you with me?"

There had been so many people wanting to sleep with him because of how he looked, because he was a vampire, because of his gifts that he wasn't quite sure how to feel or what to say to her. She didn't know of his past with Jean-Claude and Julianna, didn't know he had been cast from Belle's bed after he'd been tortured. She was just a young woman who, if she was to be with him, then she wanted to be with him for him and not what he was or what he could provide when it came to pleasures of the flesh.

For the first time in so very long, Asher didn't feel like something to be used or a play thing. It was a strange feeling to have after living with the opposite and one that he rather enjoyed. Then again, she had not seen his scarred body, and he did not wish her too.

"Mon cherie," he spoke quietly and closed the distance between them with all the grace of a cat. "I am touched to hear your words. Stay tonight and you will learn all you wish of me."

Cordelia grinned. "Easy tiger. It'll take more than one night to get into my good graces. Xander can attest to that."

Asher frowned. "Xander?"

Her grin fell. "My ex boyfriend." Off the vampire's questioning look, "Irreconcilable differences."

He had no desire to talk of her ex lovers. "You are to stay, oui?"

She sighed as her defenses lowered that little more under the weight of the hope lacing his voice. "Yes, I'll stay."


End file.
